


Influenza

by Caillieach



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cor goes looking for him, Cor is amused, Don’t copy to another site, Drautos goes MIA without warning, I still suck at tagging btw, Luche is stressed because I like to make him suffer too much, M/M, beware of the fluff, but he still loves them and you cannot convince me otherwise, but his bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired, tags will be added as needed, the Glaive is a chaotic bunch of idiots driving Titus to drink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 21:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21042773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caillieach/pseuds/Caillieach
Summary: Titus Drautos fails to turn up for work without warning. Cor goes to investigate. Neither of them expects the outcome.





	Influenza

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MeinNameIstJette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeinNameIstJette/gifts).

> Disclaimer:  

> 
> All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, here: Square Enix. Any possible future original characters & plots are my own. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. I do not earn money with this. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Written for [MeinNameIstJette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeinNameIstJette) using the following prompt:
> 
> _Person A is sick, always deals with being sick on their own, person B doesn't realise that person A is sick and so when they can't find them at the Citadel they head to their home to check on them. They see them sick and instead of leaving they insist that they're going to take care of Person A. Persona A is mildly annoyed but then later on realises that they really liked being taken care of._
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this~ ❤

* * *

Cor frowns at the clock hanging above his door for the third time in the last 20 minutes, then at his calendar still open on his computer.

“_16:30 – Joint Collaboration Meeting – Cpt. Drautos_” it reads.

He looks up at the large clock again.

It’s 16:47 now and Drautos hasn’t shown up or at least called or sent him an email to let him know that he’d run late. 

That’s highly unusual. Especially so that he is greeted by a stressed sounding Lazarus instead of the familiar voice he expected to hear when he calls the Captain’s office.

Even more unexpected is what Lazarus tells him.

“Let me get this straight; Drautos hasn’t shown up for work today without informing anyone of the reason?”

Lazarus’ voice sounds tinny over the line but the regret in his voice is easy to pick up on.

“No, Sir. If I had known you had a meeting scheduled with him, I would have notified you. Unfortunately, Captain Drautos seems to have foregone entering it into his calendar this time. I apologise.”

“Don’t worry about it, Lazarus. It’s not your fault. Please notify me if Captain Drautos doesn’t show up tomorrow as well. Yes. Thank you.”

He hangs up and stares at the meeting agenda in front of him for a moment, lost in his thoughts. 

In all the years of working with the man, Cor has come to know him as a very dedicated, hard-working and reliable man. Baring unexpected missions or emergencies within the Glaive, Drautos has never failed to show up for their meetings without at least informing him he wouldn’t be able to make it.

Not this time though. Cor frowns at the pen he’s been playing with distractedly since he ended the phone call with Lazarus. Forgetting a meeting is one thing, it has happened to him before on a few occasions. But not coming into work and not even telling his right hand man about it at least...that doesn’t seem to be like the man Cor thought Drautos to be. He actually feels a tiny spark of worry grow in his gut. 

Something isn’t right here.

Another brief glance at the clock tells him it is almost time to head home. With Drautos MIA, Cor only hesitates briefly. There’s not much sense in beginning something else now, not when the opportunity presents itself to go home at a reasonable hour for once. Shutting his computer down and shrugging into his jacket, Cor stops and looks at the folder of the information he had wanted to go over with Drautos in their meeting. Until now, Cor had been planning to call Drautos in the morning to reschedule. Instead, he grabs the folder and takes it with him when he leaves his office.

Titus Drautos lives fairly close to the Citadel and therefore the Glaive Training Grounds. Every high-ranking official in the Lucian Court and Military does for convenience's sake, himself included. It wouldn’t be a long detour to drop the files off at Drautos place and check in on him at the same time to satisfy the quiet but insistent need to make sure that nothing was out of the ordinary here.

Decision made, Cor stops briefly at the office two doors down from his. Poking his head in, he sees Monica still busy at work. He fails to hide his somewhat crookedly amused smile when she looks up at him leaning in the doorway.

“I’m heading home for the evening. Don’t work too long before you go home too, alright?” 

Monica just rewards him with an eye roll coupled with a fond smile, reminding him that this is an old routine, only with the tables turned this time. 

“I won’t, I promise. Have a good evening, Marshal.”

Cor nods briefly, rapping his knuckles against the wooden door frame in acknowledgement and leaves with a “See you tomorrow" tossed over his shoulder. 

Not for the first time, he counts himself lucky that he has found a competent right hand woman, something that is surprisingly hard to come by. Especially in their field, where many a hopeful wannabe has tried to make a career for themselves despite being utterly unsuited for the life the members of the Guard lead.

While he waits for the elevator to reach the ground floor, his thoughts circle back to Drautos. 

Well, Cor has to acknowledge that with Lazarus, the man has also found a very capable 2nd in Command going by the few interactions Cor has had with the young but ambitious blond Glaive. The fact that despite Drautos not turning up today, no word about the Glaive being in an uproar without their leader has reached him means Lazarus must have done an admirable job of steering the ship. Not an easy feat, especially not with the highly trained but chaotic individuals Drautos has under his command.

Cor chuckles under his breath.

He is fairly sure that the Glaives have no idea that their Captain is meeting up with him and Clarus every other friday night if their schedules permit it. In Drautos’ case mostly to just bitch and vent about the shit his men get up to and to unwind a bit while drowning his sorrows in strong Vesper Ale, commiserating in sympathetic company. Cor himself relishes those friday nights - while his Guards don't get up to half the shenanigans the Glaives routinely pull, they still sometimes get on his nerves and warrant venting to his colleagues every once in a while. At this point, both Clarus and he are convinced that the Glaives are trying their best to cause both Drautos and to a lesser extent Lazarus to go grey prematurely.

The cold wind coming from Galahd this time of the year sweeps around the corners and under his clothes the moment Cor steps out of the Citadel. He shivers and pulls his jacket closer around himself before he looks up into the darkening, fairly overcast sky. It doesn't look like it will snow today but Cor is willing to bet his wakizashi that it won't take long now. The winter is coming and by the feel of it, it will be an unusually cold one this time around.

Zipping his jacket closed, Cor descends what are, at least in his opinion, overly pompous steps leading up to the entrance hall at a brisk pace. He wishes he had had the foresight to grab his scarf this morning. He'll have to make sure to grab it tomorrow morning or he'll be the next unfortunate sod to be taken out by the flu. 

Cor shakes his head at the thought. Thanks but no thanks. He doesn't need that. It's not helping that the flu virus seemingly mutated to a strain more difficult to treat from last to this season. He's got a lot of work to do and security for the Glacian's annual festival to plan, he can't afford to fall ill at a time like this. 

Nor can Drautos, actually - missing work for whatever reason is just as bad timing as it would be for him since they are both involved in the planning. Suddenly, the audible stress in Lazarus' voice makes sense. Cor wouldn't want to trade places with the poor bastard knowing that he had to coordinate both the war effort and the damn party preparations in Drautos' stead and without prior warning at that.

Well, all the more reason to find out where Drautos is. 

Stopping briefly at a traffic light, Cor turns left instead of his usual right, occasionally dodging a pedestrian or two. He ducks into a shop entrance for a moment when a group of children playing tag runs by and smiles after them. Normally, Cor's workdays are long and by the time he goes home, the streets are mostly deserted except for the bar crowds and the odd straggler on their way home. But it's nice to be outside while the sun hasn't set entirely for a change. Cor enjoys the subtle warmth of the pale winter sun on his skin as he continues on his way at a comfortable pace.

The cold air bites his skin and flushes his cheeks a healthy red and Cor’s nose feels rather frozen by the time he has almost reached his destination. But at the same time he relishes the fresh feel of the world around him this evening. He'd choose the field over paperwork and being stuck in an office every day. Alas, he is too high in the hierarchy now, too important to disappear on drawn out missions often. 

He knows both Regis and Clarus understand his urge to leave the city every now and then and they do their best to make it possible for him, too. But they also never fail to tell him that he has his underlings for smaller, less important missions now and Cor has to admit that they are right. And he can't even be mad about it because he knows the idiots love him and just want to look out for him.

Huffing a laugh, he marvels that it's already cold enough to see his breath for a moment and then rounds the corner at the next road junction. The light is rapidly fading now and the leaves dancing in the wind under the streetlights create interesting patterns on the ground. It's a pretty sight and Cor appreciates it despite the chill slowly creeping under his coat. Leaving the office early for once was definitely a good decision. He'll have to make sure to thank Drautos for it.

It doesn't take him long to reach the complex the man lives in. The gate is slightly ajar, so Cor only hesitates very briefly before he slips in and makes his way through the small front yard, taking the steps to the third landing two at a time.

The flat at the very end of the landing lies dark and silent before him. For a moment, Cor stops and contemplates the door. It doesn’t look like Drautos is home...did he come here for nothing? But if the man isn’t here...where is he? He is almost ready to leave when he hesitates and looks at the door again.

It doesn’t look like he’s home - but Cor’s gut feeling tells him that he should ring the bell anyway and it has never lead him astray so far.

So he does.

The shrill sound of the doorbell rings through the silence and fades away. Nothing moves. Strange. 

On a whim, Cor rings the bell again and waits a little longer, document folder clutched in his slowly freezing hands.

Still, nothing moves.

Drautos doesn’t seem to be home. Cor sighs and turns around to leave. It was worth a try and he got a nice evening walk out of it at least, but he could really use a hot drink and a place to warm up in right now. 

A sudden sound of something heavy tumbling to the floor and going by the intonation a muffled curse causes him to pause again. 

There’s light spilling out onto the floor, just reaching to where he stands at the edge of the beam of light, bathing this end of the dim hallway in a muted golden colour. 

Drautos’ flat is lit up where it was dark just a moment ago when Cor turns halfway to look back. Through the small window in the upper half of the front door, Cor can make out a shadow approaching until it fills the small opening and blocks most of the light. The sound of a key turning in the lock rings out and just a moment later, the front door opens.

*****

Drautos looks horrible, is Cor’s first thought. 

The man looks as if he just fell out of bed, eyes swollen and squinting against the light. If not for the painfully red nose, Cor would have thought Drautos had indulged in a few drinks too much the night before, possibly even today. But he looks flushed and seems to be sweating despite the thin, rumpled shirt he’s wearing.

“You look like shit.”


End file.
